Her Despotic Rule
by HeirOfStars
Summary: Sasuke/Sakura/Naruto. HighSchool Modern AU. On-going. Without earlier notice, she makes a quick move of striking me with a solid kick at the stomach, and more blood came spurting out from my mouth. I could taste the iron in my tongue. "Welcome to Konoha High," I heard her say. Pairing is SasuSaku.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

The whole world to me is _shrinking._

Maybe it's just me but, I guess the world didn't seem _that_ big to me anymore. I don't remember which part of the world I've moved to, or did I bother to remember the name but, I'm tired of waking up every single day knowing that my father's going to come back home one day and say we're moving. _Again._

The other month it was Arizona. The month before was Singapore and the three months way before that was Seoul. Moving around from country to country had me growing tired of making friends, knowing that I'll have to move again the next time my dad lands a new assignment elsewhere. He was a family man, yes, evident that we had to be dragged around with these _"adventures"_ of his.

I switched sides on my bed, gazing at the bright blues skies from my window that I refuse to have them covered with blinds. Everything in the house didn't remind me of anything. I could only see the outlines of my housemaids running around in the house or doing chores since it was the same for each house we decided to live in. Even just a few months ago, the only thing I could remember were the house maids rushing everywhere in the Uchiha house to assist us. Other than that, it was Itachi sleepwalking all over the bungalow. However, that was all I could ever care to remember about growing up, no matter which house we were in.

I slipped out of the bed, heading straight for the dining table when one of the housemaids called to say my father and brother just came back. I didn't bother calling the tutor to come for home-school when I knew what type of day it would be. I dragged my feet on the freshly polished marbled floor and opened the door to the dining room. Not that it was the worst day I ever had but, it was truly exhausting. I wonder if it must have been shown in my face since the housemaids didn't bother greeting me good morning.

So when my dad gathered the family at the table to announce some news, I wasn't surprised when he said we were moving again. My father's momentary burst of involvement with the Japanese Motor companies and some budding technology-based side companies; I wasn't that excited as how my mother was acting. But it must be just that –_momentary, s_ince I was waiting for him to state the short time period we were going to stay in Japan.

However, he had said something _off_ the script in my head.

"What do you mean we'd be staying _until_ I go to college?" I raised my voice, only to notice the stern look both of my parents gave me. I bowed in apology before I sank back down into my seat.

"Well," my mother gave a short look to my father then to my brother before she grinned widely, "Your brother's company offered a rather permanent partnership contract with your dad's."

"How's that possible? Itachi's only been working for a month!" I flung my hands, still not able to believe the news. I still couldn't decide between being happy or angry since I was really taken to surprise this time. Not that I hated the news at all.

"I have my talents," Itachi formed a smile at the corner of his lips, triggering the frustration that was built within me. I didn't liked it when he always seem to be doing something remarkable in his prime while I wasn't doing anything much but schooling. At my age, Itachi was already getting companies calling for his name. I didn't want to remember that but, my father would always remind me of the gap we both have.

"I thought you'd be happier though," Itachi faced me.

I then gave him a forced smile, "Do I seem happier now?"

* * *

I walked through the front yard, making a mental checklist of which box I hadn't empty yet. The long walk from the front gate to the front patio of the house made me realize that my mother had called up for more garden decorations to dress up the house entrance was a little amazing. It had been a while to see her putting up effort on embellishing the house. Her favorite bright colored tulips lit up the pathway up to the house and a bunch of peonies graced up the front steps to the house.  
I'm glad my mother tried her best to making it homely.

It had been a few days of unpacking and unloading in the house we were supposedly going to live for the next few years until I graduate. The familiarity of it made arranging the furniture in my room to my liking was like a routine.

The boxes had been set aside to the front pathway of the front gate and I was only waiting for what's left of it to be taken out with the rest of the garbage. Not that I was assigned to check on the late night garbage man and help him with the boxes to the truck. That was the job of the new housemaids of the house. I was simply taking a breather and a night walk after just so I could be away from the audible silence my family was talented in making.

I watched the cars drove by the house, and observed the house right in front of mine. An iron gate stood between me and the large _honmune_ styled _minka_ built upon a small hill. The breeze made me feel a good shiver and the full moon lighted up the wet granite of the road after the rain. The road seemed to shimmer in the moonlight, rather eye catching in its own right.

Soon I grew tired of waiting and took my walk down the road, and was greeted by an abundant number of city lights gleaming at me. Within a few minutes, my feet landed myself to the nearest convenience store, opposite a large residential apartment.

The place was empty and I decided to grab a can of coffee, only to realize I still had American notes within my pocket that was yet to be exchanged. And when I finally purchased my drink and strolled out the store, I heard piercing screams and exasperated shouts from the apartment across from where I was.

The cries and howling from the opposite building didn't cease until there were loud slams of doors crashing audibly. A little irritated, I glared up towards the building, only to see dark figures clashing at each other at the front entrance. It was like a battle inside with all the shrieking involved inside the apartment but the residents didn't seem to be unfazed by it.

Within seconds, a girl stepped out.

She glared at me, as if it was wrong for me to be staring and being curious to the commotion. And when she did, I caught sight of her eyes. And _damn,_ her eyes were enticing. It gleamed like the damp texture of the road, in fact, glassy. And when she stared me down from across the road in her emerald eyes, I knew she wanted to be left alone.

I heard more yelling from the building, calling out her name — S_akura was her name_, with much rage. And I knew well that it would only fuel her temptation to leave. And so she did.

She took one glance back at the building's entrance glass doors before she dashed on her own two feet. I was greeted by another series of sounds. The rustling of leaves clashing against heavy footsteps had kept me from my tranquil solitude. She went further down the slope before she disappeared at the end of the street; the mess of scattered wet leaves that was pushed to the side of the path were the only traces that she was ever even there.

I took one last sip from my canned coffee before I took my leave.

_"Sakura, huh?"_

* * *

**A/N: Hello, have you enjoyed the prologue :) Hope to know what you guys think about it. So far I have thought much about the first few chapters and the story's really not going to start of simple, I can tell you that /**

Hope you guys like it :)


	2. Chapter 1: Not in the Script in my Head

**Not in the Script in my Head**

_It wasn't a big deal._

The infamous first days in a new school seemed mundane since I went through it nothing more like routine. Everyone else would have been worked up to start a new life or sorts, thinking it would be a new beginning for them but I was awfully too used to so many school transfers. The papers and entrance examinations didn't bother me much compared to how people would have been troubled by having to get so many document papers and chapters to study for their entrance examination for the school. But, to me, it was a part of life that I didn't have to fuss about.

Day in and day out, it seemed that I had picked up a lot of attention with my presence. The girls at their lockers would chatter among themselves and the guys that went past me would nudge me on the shoulder and try their best to recruit me in some of their clubs. But, it didn't really matter to me. I'm going off after college anyway. That's less than two years until graduation. I wouldn't need a club to make myself home because time flies too fast for me.

The effort of making friends and having to leave then is tiring in its own right. I knew that the emotions that followed as I leave that bond are more than demanding than needed. I knew enough to think so and no one can change that mind-set of mine. Like my father, I am a stubborn _Uchiha_.

Also, it was exhausting to keep up with friends and do what you call social activities when you could use the time to study.

As I strolled across the hall, finding the principal's office, I sensed a hint of tobacco. Weird as it was, the lady who welcomed me tried not entertain my findings. Once I was taken in, the principal didn't bother to stand up from her seat to greet me welcome but, simply eyed me carefully from head to toe as I made my way in front of her. And I found where the strong odor was coming from when I breathed in a pungent smell of alcohol and cigarettes when I entered her office. However, by the look on her face that she was giving me, the principal seem to strike off that I shouldn't question it.

"How's your brother doing?" Her eyes pierced through mine, as if she knew who I was by just one look at me.

"_Pardon?_" My throat seemed to have turned hoarse from all that travelling yesterday –and maybe because she was wheezing cigarettes in front of me.

"Ah, well," she waved her hand off, as she grabbed a fresh cigarette from a box hidden in the drawers of her table and stuck the old one onto her ashtray, "I hope you maintain that name of yours and not give me trouble."

I stared at her in awe even much more when she went ahead to lit up a cigarette in front of me. The cigarette left her lips and she puffed up a smoke, ignoring me as I choked in her air. Was this her idea of a good orientation briefing? What kind of school am _I_ in anyway? Was this the prestigious school that my brother was talking about and my father was specially making arrangements to school in?

She pointed me to the door, wanting me to leave as quickly as possible and left me with her secretary, an apologetic look in her eyes.

"Sorry but Tsunade-sama isn't always like that," the lady bowed as much as she did to me and handed me my timetable, "Let me know if you have any trouble in the school."

"As much as we like to say we shouldn't smoke indoors, Tsunade-sama breaks it but please try not to imitate her this morning. I swear she isn't always like this." The lady orientated me well instead of the principal and took note of which major I would be in. Right after that, she showed me around the school and briefed me about the school rules and regulations in the early morning. I tried not to yawn in front of her but, I couldn't help it. And even though she spoke in a mundane tone, somehow I remembered the few words she explained to me,

_"We have a strict no bullying policy."_

We walked back in front of the cigarette lady's office, and I swear, the stench was much more distinct than before. So when the lady who briefed me asked if I had any more questions, I shook my head quickly, waiting for her cue to leave. And when she did, I didn't hesitate to leave the area at all. I didn't intend to linger around the office.

I wanted to be anywhere but that _damn_ place.

* * *

I approached the front doorstep to my classroom, catching the eyes of many of the people in the class. I simply wandered my eyes around, wondering whether there was even a space for me to sit. But then I caught a familiar set of eyes.

It was _that_ girl with the emerald eyes again. And if it weren't for how dark it was last night the hoodie she covered her head with -which I didn't thought much about it until now, I didn't expect to have her pink long hair greeting me.

She stared back at me with a tad hint of a glare. Did she recognize it was _me_ from last night?

A figure blocked my view of her and only then I noticed the teacher had approached me, only to surprise me with a _N96_ mask covering his face. The ends of his hair were flopped to one side and his silver hair betrayed how much younger he looked but the mask didn't give a hint of his age.

This school was weirder than _I_ thought.

"Dear class," he led me to the center of the classroom as he read my profile from the back of my timetable when he took it from my hands, "We have a new student in our midst that goes by the name of _Sasuke Uchiha_."

I bowed as he wrote my name in _Kanji_ on the board. I didn't expect him to speak in a bored fashion but that bother me as I was trying to guess his age. But, I wasn't simply thinking of dumb things to let the time pass by. I was trying to distract himself away from that girl glaring at my direction for the past minute.

"He has schooled in America so anyone having problems in English can ask him for help," the teacher gave me a pat on the back, "Now, could you sit behind _Naruto_ over there?"

The class flinched when the name was heard but, it must have been my imagination. Without a doubt, I simply waited for someone to raise his hand, only to have everyone staring back at me, as if I knew who this _idiot_ by the name of Naruto was.

The girl with emerald eyes -_and crazy pink hair_, bowed her head downwards to face the floor before she pointed me to my seat with a small hand gesture, a seat right behind hers. When I finally got onto my seat, only then did I realize the idiot by the name of Naruto was sleeping away throughout and had his drool over his blonde hair.

I sighed before I rested my head on my hand, dreading the rest of the day.

* * *

"So dude, you've really been to America huh?" Naruto nudged me by the elbow as he audibly whispered to me. It wasn't a whisper at all actually; it was loud enough to echo in the classroom. He definitely caught the teacher's attention with his voice. Did this idiot even know what a whisper is?

I simply nodded, as I took notes off the board. The blonde sure is a loud mouth and hell did it annoy me when he continued blabbering to me and trying to catch my attention.

"_Then you could English with me right now, could ya? (English)_" Naruto spoke the broken sentence in English with the same volume, only earning a chalk thrown right at his head and given a stern warning. Yet, he kept nudging me to teach me a few words or sentences, ignoring the teacher who was giving him a harsh glare. I had stopped taking notes then and there. Hell was _I_ irritated.

"_I could speak like this and you still wouldn't understand me (English) _," I muttered in a low voice. This guy should just stop.

But before I knew it, a fist was right up on my collar and the clashing of desks and chairs on the ground distracted the whole classroom.

"What did you say?!" The blonde forcefully pulled my collar, his eyes piercing right at mine, as if he'd receive an answer from me.

_What was this guy's problem?_

And much to my surprise, the girl from yesterday –_Sakura_ wasn't it, pulled us apart with one smooth move. Naruto was thrown back to his seat while her hand shoved me back to mine. And her dull eyes just stared at me for a few before she went back to her seat. She resumed back to writing notes off the board, as if the whole commotion didn't happen at all.

The teacher at the front of the classroom was caught bewildered himself but he had a rather laid back attitude about it after and went back to writing notes on the blackboard. Wasn't he supposed to send me and Naruto to the principal's office or for detention? I glanced around and was only astonished to see the damn classmates of mine doing the same thing as Sakura was doing, acting as if _nothing_ had happened.

_What was going on?_

The blonde and I were left staring at each other, having an internal duel but he cut it short when Naruto hung his head low.

"_Bastard_," was what I heard him say. I felt a chill went up my spine when I saw his smirk creeping up onto his lips, taunting me, before he went back to his nap.

I couldn't get it out from my head the rest of the lesson and I stayed paralyzed in my seat, wondering what was going on in this weird school.

* * *

As much as I thought that the day could have been any longer, it was time for lunch break. Everyone dispersed to their cliques. Some had gone ahead for their little trip to the canteen while other unpacked the _bento_ they brought.

Naruto made a screech with his chair, getting the whole class to notice him before he had left by the back alone, ignoring everyone's steady gaze.

Only then did I notice the way everyone had then have their eyes on me. The vast contrast as to how they looked at me and Naruto was rather terrifying in its own way. And that's when I decided to leave the classroom the same way Naruto did and make my way up to the roof. It should be the only thing accessible to people like me who don't have any companions to have lunch with. I wasn't intending to follow his darn example. I'm simply just getting myself away from the crowd like he was since their stares had been bothering me. It had been happening more often whenever their attention was on Naruto.

And when I finally reached the top of the flight of stairs, a rusty rugged sign was painted and hung on the door knob of the roof door. It conveyed how I wasn't allowed up in the roof yet the sign didn't taunt me to leave. I ignored it and went ahead to unlocking the door before I was welcomed by the rushing cold wind blowing at the top of the school building.

I cared less about the wind defiantly blowing my hair in directions I didn't want to go.

Because by then, my attention laid to what was right in front of me. The blonde _idiot_ and that girl, _Sakura_, were right in front of me, leaning against the railing and watching the urban city landscape. Naruto had a toothpick in between his teeth and draped an arm over the railing while Sakura casually leaned on it. They were talking until they cast their eyes towards my direction.

They noticed my presence then and I couldn't take any notice of how my stomach strangely churned at the sight of them. The arm Naruto had clung onto the railing left quickly and returned by his shoulder. As he did this, Naruto gave me a ferocious glare as he walked towards me. He even spat out the toothpick he had to the floor. I didn't notice how Sakura had left the railing as well when I was much more intimidated by Naruto.

And when the both of them approached me, Naruto had greeted me with a _punch_ on the cheek without warning. My body flipped to my side and my feet failed me front supporting my weight. And I stared at him, coming towards me with an eerie smile.

"_What's that word in English again? (English)_" My eyes grew wide when he spoke the sentence in English that was much better structured than he said in class. What the hell was he going on about? Was this all because of what _I_ said? You can't be serious. Naruto smirked as I got my face landing flat on the ground, "_Was it "PAIN"? (English)_"

He towered over me before he continued to punch me countless times. I could feel the blood vessels burst and my diaphragm collapse under the force of his fist packed behind it. He continued to thrust his fist upward until I spat blood onto the dirty ground. And throughout of it, I stared at _her_.

She kept a deadpan expression, unaffected by the violence that was breaking out in front of her. Her eyes didn't even blink when Naruto landed another hit on my face. I was too bewildered to even move.

"What the hell..." I finally spat as I gasped for air, "What are you doing?"

Thankfully, Naruto held back his last blow and tilted his head, waiting for the girl to take her time to approach me even closer. And when she did, she surprisingly stooped down to my level and trailed her fingers onto my jaw. She was just an inch away from my face and she made me look at her eye to eye. Speaking of which, it was alarming to see her eyes were still as expressionless as it was before.

She then gripped hard onto my bruising cheeks, pressing it deeper and _deeper_ with her nails digging onto my skin as each second pass.

"That was for trying to be a smart ass," she eyed me closely.

And without earlier notice, she makes a quick move of striking me with a solid kick at the stomach, and more blood came spurting out from my mouth. I could taste the iron in my tongue.

"Welcome to Konoha High," I heard her say as she took her time to stand up and rise over me.

She smirked right in front of my eyes, before she left with Naruto, leaving me alone in the cold blasting air with my bleeding mouth and the piercing pain in my stomach. I was in pain in _every_ part of my body. It felt as if my ribs were broken in one fell swoop from her _excruciating_ kick. My body must have looked as if had been splashed with blue paint as I stared at all the agonizing bruises I had earned.

Will _anyone_ believe me if I told them what happened?

* * *

**A/N: Told you there'd be a plot twist hahahahahahaha and I hope it's not that serious for a first chapter. Wanted to have a change in how HighSchool AUs started off.**

**Hope you like it.:)**


	3. Chapter 2: System

**System**

I was at the Nurse's office, treating the bruises left on my cheek by myself. They really turned into a disgruntling color. Good thing nobody was around to witness me frantically looking for bandages to cover them with. Another amazing thing was the Nurse's office had run out of bandages for me to cover them with. My mother would fret at the sight of red and blue when I reach home.

_It was guaranteed._

This wasn't the way my first day should have been. It would have normally ended with those girls forming up into a group and gathering around me, irritating me over and over or those seniors asking and promoting their clubs in a desperate fashion to let me take interest into signing up for their club at the end of the day. It never got me into getting punched in the face and stomach or leaving a trail of blood dripping behind. And it intrigued me that the _two_ who did this to me had the confidence in even getting at me.

Were they just confident about themselves in not getting caught or were they just _plain_ stupid?  
Have _they_ even heard of my family name before?

With those two in the picture, I was sure I wasn't the only one that ended up the way like I did. Because the two of them had such a familiarity and menacing look on their faces, as if it was a routine for them to beat people up and leaving as if nothing happened. Their expressions showed how it didn't affect them when they were hurting me.

And _that_ petrified me.

Especially _her_ and her darn poker-faced expression before she decided to pummel me on the gut. The thought of her eyes boring right into mine before she shoved me against the wall with one swift kick made me feel the quick rush of chill in my veins again.

This left me suspicious that _yes_, I wasn't the only person abused like this but I didn't want to get myself into any more troubling issues since I'm already bleeding and bruised head down. It was a miracle I was even standing for that matter. But whatever had happened didn't lessen my confidence to face them in class once again.

_Who the hell did they think they were?_

* * *

I took my time to walk back to class, trying to ounce every gut I had left after the encounter with the two of them. I was glad there was an elevator next to the Nurse's office because, if not, I wouldn't know how I was able to climb up the stairs in the state I was in. From a while ago, I had to pace myself to keep my feet up by putting my weight on the corridor walls just so I could move. This would be troubling for me than I thought. It was a superb, however, that I was gradually getting back to my own feet to support my own weight.

And when I reached the doorstep to my classroom, I tried to gather all my confidence to face them. I even daringly showed my bandages that poorly hid the deep blue bruises on my face across the hall as I walked back to class. It _definitely_ startled the people around me. So, it wasn't going to be that hard to face them again.

If those two wanted to fight, they _will_ get a fight.

I walked by the front door of the class room, alarming my classmates. It was evident in their faces how worried and scared they were after seeing me. Yet, they did a wonderful job in keeping themselves silent again. It was as if they didn't have the choice to even voice out their opinions.

"_How welcoming_," I uttered under my breath before I caught her attention. She didn't even have a change in expression when she found me limping by the doorstep. That lost my confidence a little, wondering whether why it didn't bother her that seeing me out in the open with my bruises wouldn't get her in trouble. Nonetheless, Sakura stood up in her seat and gave me the usual murderous glare from across the classroom.

The whole class was just a _dead_ silent. No one dared to look up at her in the eye while I defiantly did so.

It wasn't hard to notice that our homeroom teacher was running late to see our class off for homeroom because each second passed by like hours. I wished that dull silver-haired fellow was around to see me in these bruises and scars so that I wouldn't be losing all my confidence as I wanted to have. I thought someone would help me by now at least _but_, I guess with the way how everyone else in the class was afraid of the two, nobody's going to. And as I stared into Sakura's eyes, I knew what the outcome would come for me.

Yet, I tried not to fear it. Even though she walked briskly right up at me and faced me toe-to-toe, I didn't fear her... _yet_.

"Who do you think you are?" I heard her say, her teeth gnashing on every word.

And I just had to throw back her question.

"Who do you think _you_ are?" I crossed my arms, reigning in confidence, even though it hurt each time I moved a muscle. But, that didn't bring me drop my tiny bit of confidence to stand here facing her glare again. I knew who was wrong all along and it _wasn't_ me. I'm not the one who got me injured. It was _her_ and _that idiot blonde_.

Then I heard her scoff before she inched a little closer towards me, close enough to hear my heartbeats. Was she going to hit me again, in front of _everybody_ in the classroom? Where was that Kakashi-sensei anyway? Couldn't he just hurry up?

Unknowingly, my heart paced a little quicker than normal. Her abrupt actions had made me tensed as much. I was waiting for a hit but then her laughter filled the entire classroom, ignoring the fact at how her cackle startled the class. Only when her laughter died down, Sakura stared straight up at me with an undeniably murderous intent shown in her eyes.

"For a guy who talks big, you sure get shaky a lot, _huh_?" She taunted me and kept such a straight face. She didn't even bother warning me when she jabbed her hands at my stomach because she didn't need to.

_And bloody hell did it hurt._

I saw myself drop to the floor in an instant. I saw myself spit red from my mouth again as I watch Sakura strolled back up to her seat to grab her bag, and walk away with Naruto by her side. She didn't even look back. It was as if it didn't even give her any _guilt_ to bash me up the way she did.

The whole class then suddenly ran up to my aid, wondering if I was fine. Only then I realized I had been trying to ease my trembling and uneasiness by digging my fingernails to the palm of my hands, which made me wonder when did I even began to show how _fearful_ I was. Maybe that was why Sakura didn't bother to care if I got hit _again_ and put me back down in my place.

"Don't do that, kid," I heard a voice behind the crowd advised me before he showed himself in front of me. A ponytail held up all of his dark hair and he stared at me with his slit eyes, "you'll only lead yourself into trouble."

"As if I don't actually see that," I muttered.

"Well, what got you the guts to get to face the two?" I heard him ask before he cut me off when I tried to answer, "Let me guess, you wanted to say you're a son of _some_ important person?"

A blonde girl by his side nudged him with her elbow, shushing him with his name, "Shikamaru!"

He didn't even wait for me to answer because he simply continued with a loud sigh, "We _all_ are, kid."

"Then don't you have any power over them at least?" I heard myself say.

It was intriguing. If we were a prestigious school, holding a group of students that were future heirs or some sort, what could we not do? We should be able to have power to even get back at them.

Then the girl with blonde hair walked up in front of me, her eyes flutter as she spoke, "The thing is, Naruto, is the _heir_ of the Namikaze Corp. that owns _all_ of our family's holdings but if not, _soon_. Even this school _is_ under that name..."

Well, that was a _dead end._

"What about Sakura?" I saw the girl flinch at the sound of her name and glanced away towards her male companion. Sakura must have had done something against her too.

"Her family's _not_ that notable of," I heard Shikamaru say, as if the piece of news wasn't that surprising when you're in a prestigious school full of rich asses like me. However, having to see Sakura from that apartment building a while back., it didn't really shock me when Shikamaru said that. However, he wasn't finished, "But she's notable for _topping_ every examination and running on this school's scholarship."

_Ah,_ I see. _Okay_.

The blonde girl meekly continued with a change of subject, only then there was contrast in her attitude compared to her confident self she was seconds ago;

"The school has a _caste system_ that it is difficult to get rid of, well... since mainly because those two are at the _top of it_."

It intrigued me that such a duo was controlling the school system or sorts. One was the heir of _Namikaze Corporations_, the owner of the school itself, and the other was as smart enough to continue in this prestigious school with a scholarship by maintaining her top position in every exam.  
Was the staff even part of the system? Are they not going to do anything? Do they even _know_ what's going on? _What was that thing about not tolerating bullying as their policy?_

_Where_ is our homeroom teacher anyway?

And as if on cue, Kakashi–sensei stood by the class doorstep with his recognizable face mask plastered over his face. The only part of his face peering was his right eye, staring flatly at us. We then rushed back to our seats and it didn't take us a surprise that he'd whip out his adult book and read it openly, ignoring the fact that he was supposedly to end the homeroom with values imparted to the class, or so does the school handbook say about Homeroom.

The homeroom teacher, Kakashi, simply pointed lazily over his desk, telling the class to finish up a survey before they could leave.

A loud sigh filled the classroom.

Yet, I was still left thinking about the two, Sakura and Naruto, since _I'll_ have to handle with them for the next two years.

I bit my lip even though it was banged up.

* * *

When the car reached the front door to my home, I could hear my mother screaming all the way from the living room when she saw me. It was a good thing it was only her at home, if not I would have been receiving more than one series of nagging from my brother and father too.

My mother pulled me by the hand and dragged me to the kitchen and fridge, pulling out ice from the freezer and flipped out a cloth from the kitchen drawers. She wrapped the ice with it before she told me to sit, and placing the cloth wrapped with ice over my bruises that hadn't been covered in bandages. It was weird seeing her doing all _these_ when normally she would've asked the housemaids to do things for her stead.

I waited for her to ask and I would lie to her that I _magically_ fell on the staircases since I was unbelievably clumsy. However, she didn't ask.

And I grew myself worried, thinking that maybe it was her new strategy of making me tell her the truth. Then I was proven wrong that she was going to ask about anything when she lifted my uniform to see _more_ bruises and wounds on my body. I saw her eyes look stricken with absolute shock. Her dark eyes grew teary and I could feel her hands trembling at the sight of them.

"_Who_ did this? What happened to my boy?" Her words were jumbled as she asked. But I didn't want to trouble her and _lied_. I told that damn lie about me falling _magically_ on the staircase. That stupid lie that no one would believe yet, I just didn't want to bother her with anything. And I could tell she couldn't believe me because the injuries looked like it was far more than simple little clumsiness would do.

But she looked like she accepted it without a doubt and embraced me either way.

"I _won't_ tell your father, but promise me, this won't happen again," she told me between her tears.

She _knew_ I was lying.

But what could I do but nod, and watch her treat my bruises. She didn't say another word nor did I until she told me to change into a shirt with long sleeves and jeans in the house so that my brother or my dad wouldn't see more bruises than she did.

"What about the ones on my face?" I pointed to the one _Naruto_ had greeted me with on the cheek.

"Your mother has lots of makeup for that," she smiled wearily. And I felt bad about it but I tried to act like my usual self, so that I hoped she felt a little better.

"_Gross_," I complained, not wanting to obliged her to have makeup on my face.

"Then how do you want to hide it, _smarty-pants?_" she laughed after hearing me complain.

* * *

**A/N: So how was that for a second chapter? I know it's a bit gruesome and violent (it's first for me to write such) but, I think it's going to what I intended :) Don't worry, I just wanted to have a change in ways how Highschool AUs should turn out.**

_**Thank you for reading :))**_


	4. Chapter 3: Friends

**Friends**

"Isn't he _that_ guy…"

"…The guy that _they_ beat up?"

Eyes were perched on me ever since I left the car and by the look of things, my stunt of walking in my wounds seem to be quite enormous news to the student body. Wherever I went, they would stare at me in awe and mutter to each other in low voices. When I passed by the girls who flocked to me and asked for my mail address yesterday, they had seemed to avoid my eyes. The group of guys who were recruiting me the other day seemed to ignore my presence too. But, that was a good thing for me. It was one less thing to care about in this school. However, I was still gaining attention no matter how much I looked at it.

_Negatively_ even.

And it was probably obvious that the whole school was avoiding me because they wouldn't want to end up the way I did. Maybe my idea of walking around the school was a bad idea. It seems to have the opposite effect. It was as if it showed the whole school of the results of who dared to go against them.

I sighed when I reached for my locker, pressing on the combination digits on the innovative locker that fitted how modern and advanced in technology the whole school was. My father's company must have involved in the school's facilities too, considering everything looked recognizable to me. Speaking of which, last night's dinner on the table was a still awkward silent.  
My family really was _talented_ in dinner conversations.

"Hey, Uchiha," I heard someone call before whoever it was greeted me a good morning by shutting my locker shut. I was surprised it wasn't_ the two_ but Shikamaru, Ino and this guy, Kiba, who hid his pet dog in his gym bag. The three of them grinned at me before Kiba wrapped his arm around my neck and started walking, as _if_ we were really close friends. His bag shifted under his movements. It might have been the dog but Kiba didn't seem to care much about it.

"Good morning," Ino smiled while Shikamaru just gave me a nod, following both of Kiba's and my pace.

My eyebrows furrowed, wondering why they were treating me like one of their own. And my face must have showed how truly confused I was when I heard Shikamaru breathed out an audible sigh as he scratched his own head.

"_What?_" Shikamaru growled, "It's not like we're friends for doing this. It's just a pity you're walking around the school like a wounded dog, if not, like Kiba."

"Shut up," Kiba shouts loud enough for the people in the corridor to hear, ignoring the fact that I was right beside him. My ears were ringing.

It was weird that these three stuck to me like glue when everybody else was avoiding me like I had the worst case of the measles. Weren't they afraid of what everybody was afraid of? Weren't they afraid they might get beat up from the_ two of them_? Weren't they afraid at all?

"I'm only sticking to you because you're _an Uchiha_ and sticking to you might be good diplomacy for my father's company and yours," Kiba laughed. That might have been a reasonable excuse _if_ Kiba even knew what he was talking about, because he seemed to hardly care about his family's business considering all he did was being a nonsense in class.

"To be honest, your tiny performance yesterday in front of the class gave us a little bit of confidence," I heard Ino point out. She seemed easy to get along, until she starts ranting about her trip to the mall the other day and complaining to Shikamaru as to why his family's company didn't put up new stores. Were people in this high school always talking about their family companies, time shares, and everything else? It felt like this school was just another way for other companies to decide to partner up or not.

The two seemed to get along rather well as they left me with the dog boy. I didn't really turn their company out. However, I still wondered why they were able to hang around me. It felt like their answers weren't good enough.

"But it's not like we want to get beat up either," Kiba laughed half-halfheartedly. His voice was low, making me take note that he wasn't joking at all, and when we reached the class doorstep, he let go of his grip around my neck and gave me a steady expression, "It's just that Sakura tends_ not_ to deal with us."

What did that mean? Were they somehow immortal or something? How are they able to say such a thing?

"To make it clear, Sakura doesn't want to deal with _her_," Kiba then points at Ino who stared right back at us. With that hand gesture from Kiba, Ino seemed to take that she knew what the both of us were talking about and glanced her head down to the floor. She gave a slight nod, agreeing to whatever she and Kiba's internal conversation had. Then, Kiba looked back at me with another stern face. He didn't seem to be joking any time soon.

"_However_," I heard the guy start, "This wouldn't mean that they won't completely ignore you so, Sasuke, you better watch out. With that stunt you did yesterday, you're definitely in their blacklist."

I took heed of what Kiba said before he suddenly had a change of attitude. Kiba suddenly acted like the class clown he was when we entered the classroom, as if he didn't just give me an important piece of information and a strict warning. I walked back to my seat, inwardly feeling relieved that the blonde and that girl still hadn't reached class. Their seats were empty.

Yet, the worry still hadn't left my shoulders. It was kind of convenient that there was at least some people with me that would at least keep the other two away But like what Kiba said, that wasn't going to stop them now, does it?

It made me wonder when I ever started to worry about this in the first place. Did the fear of getting to see them this morning creep up to me when the car had reached the gates of the school or when I woke up knowing that it was another day to face them?

I reached my cheeks that were still covered in bandages and remembered how I have to keep mother's promise.

How was I _ever_ going to achieve that?

Suddenly everything seemed to go in slow motion and I couldn't hear anything but my loud beating heart. My hands formed into a fist and I could feel the sweat building up within my palms. I didn't mind the nervous drips of sweat falling to my collar but, the hell am I ever going to show them that I was trembling. My fingers dug a little deeper into the palm of my hand and I could feel my fingernails carving a mark on them. I can't believe I was this nervous to see them, even though they were just going towards my direction and taking their seats next to me and in front of me. Whatever happened to my pride? I couldn't believe I became a chicken in just a day.

I got overly excited to think they would do something to me this morning and was ever-ready to face them. I spent the whole night thinking of what things to say back at them or whether I ever had the power to even throw a fist back at them. Yet, I wasn't relieved from my troubles yet.

I had a sour feeling that they were just getting started.

* * *

_She_ surprised me when she abruptly turned herself around to face the back.

"Naruto," I heard her say and she gave me a smirk when she continued, "Which level was Sai's class in?"

I wondered what that was for and I could only wait for what would happen next but her gaze on me switched back to Naruto whose head was on the table. It was a miracle he was even awake throughout this morning but I had no right to think that way since I only knew them for one day.

"So, _it's_ today huh?" I heard him slur his words. He sounded bored but before I knew it, his eyes pointed right back at me, "I thought we'd have _more_ fun."

I tried to ignore them and go back to listening to Kurenai's lesson but it was difficult with the two of them having their eye on me. More than that, it felt like they were glaring straight at me. I was definitely a prey to their little game. _Sai_, whoever this guy was, must have been a punching bag to relief their _"boredom"._

But I wasn't just going to let myself get beaten up. I'm not waiting for them to beat me up again. I wasn't their other play thing and I'm not going to let myself be weak enough for them to consider me as their prey. I couldn't take it anymore. Wasn't I raised to be more than just this weakling of a son? How was I going to prove to my father that I wasn't any less than my brother or keep my mother's promise I won't get bruised all over again.

Standing up to these two shitholes might get me away from their list and into their list of who they _shouldn't_ mess around with. Maybe that was why Ino was free from them. Maybe she stood up to them.

"How annoying," I said it loud enough for them to hear. It was true though, since they were irritatingly loud for me to keep my focus on the lesson. If things were to repeat to like what had happened yesterday, I won't let history repeat. I learned what they were capable of anyway. I definitely challenged them.

Who the hell is going to get scared of them? I survived_ fucking_ yesterday for Kami sake. I had a taste of their strength so, who else could beat them in their own game but me. They wouldn't_ fucking_ expect that.

If I caught their attention, I definitely did when Naruto shifted in his seat enough to face me. I was waiting for that hand of his to grab me by the collar but it never came. I was only treated with another series of glares by the blonde before I heard the class bell ring. It was time for the next class yet, it felt like time ceased at that moment. Everybody in the classroom was just staring at the three of us. Shikamaru from the other side of the class, together with Kiba, shook their heads. It was as if I made the wrong move but, it was far too late now.

I could feel myself getting much more anxious when I saw their reactions.

And if I_ hadn't_ felt fear, I saw Sakura smirk.

"I thought we'd have more fun too," was what I read her lips say.

* * *

"Are you fucking crazy?" I heard Kiba yell at me. He threw his hands up into the air, pacing left and right in my sight. Shikamaru held his head low, looking as if he was thinking of something while Ino was following Kiba and asking to calm down but he didn't, "How am I supposed to calm the fuck down when that retard there decided to challenge them on his own? He's digging his own grave! I just told him to watch out!"

"Kiba's right," Shikamaru sounded much more calm than I should be, the one who challenge the two and being reprimanded by dog boy here, "And I don't know how to help you. Those two are so _unpredictable_."

I stared at them. Were they worried about me?

Trying not to dwell in that thought, I had been thinking about what Kiba had said in the morning and I wondered why Ino wasn't in their list. And I'm going to ask her why, no matter what, because now I know they were worried over me.

"What's your _relationship_ between you with the two of them?" I heard myself say and watched Ino's face change from the one who was calming others down to being stricken herself. I could hear Shikamaru grumbling under his breath that it'd get troublesome while Kiba was getting more into an uproar with his foul mouth and why I shouldn't have asked that. Meanwhile, under all these circumstances, I watched Ino's reaction and she grew weary from my stare. She hesitated to even answer my question as she fought against her own tears.

But she gave me her answer anyway.

"When Sakura was a child," Ino's words ceased a little. Her eyes kept shifting left and right. She didn't want to cry at all. Kiba, then, kept his mouth shut, knowing that he wanted to hear her out too. On the other hand, Shikamaru simply rubbed his temple. It was clear that this was the first time they were going to get a clear explanation from Ino of what she knew about the two…

* * *

_"For a boy, you cry a lot! That's so stupid!" Sakura kept yelling in a loud voice. Everybody could hear her no matter whether you were at the far side of the playground and sitting on the swings or beside the Koi pond next to slides. Every single person could hear her and they didn't know what else to do but stare._

_"Y-you hit me!" Naruto yelled back in between tears. He held his own head, staring up at her, and afraid that she might hit him on the head once again. It really did hurt and the boy swore that there might be a large bump forming on the top of his already, visible to every kid in the playground to make fun of him the next day._

_"Look, you're crying again," Sakura stared him down from where she was, "This is why you're weak!"_

_Naruto's eyes diverted to the sand below him. Tears kept dripping from his eyes and he couldn't help but sniffling and crying. He didn't bother to speak back to her because she continued to rage on, ignoring whether his head really did hurt or not. It didn't matter anymore whether what Sakura said was correct about him being a crybaby because he was calling out for his father in between his sobs._

_"O-otou…san…"_

_The Haruno was still speaking even though she caught sight of the people around to be leaving with astonished faces directed to her. She didn't give a second thought that anyone would come up to her to say what she was doing was wrong because the girl knew she owned the playground now. Not anyone but her. Not the three girls who used to come after her to kick her down to the sand pit, saying she doesn't belong, saying she should stay with the kids of her class. They weren't going to tell her what she's going to do._

_Because, they're not here to run her down now._

_She can't let herself be beaten down like that anymore so, her attitude had a large change in her life. Whatever she said to Naruto was true though because she knew what's best. He shouldn't be such a big crybaby when no one dared to speak to him. He should be glad that Sakura had talked to him in the first place, even though she was nagging to him on how to feel._

_"Hey! What are you doing there, Naruto? It's time to go home," Ino called out to him from behind the fences. When she walked close enough, she found tears in Naruto's eyes and he was whimpering each passing minute. Then Ino saw Sakura who towered over him before the blonde boy ran towards her, crying and dashing towards her as if it was the last day on earth._

_Ino caught sight of Sakura's puzzled face before she asked who she was._

_"Who are you supposed to be?" The Haruno had such a heavy stare at Ino. She was ignoring Naruto's presence now, even though he was wiping his tears away with his sleeves as he stood next to the Yamanaka._

_"She's my onee-chan!" Naruto screamed, even though it caught Ino by surprise. They weren't family at all, even though they had the similar blonde hair and blue eyes. They were just acquainted since both of their families had been doing business shares together._

_"Shut up, Naruto-baka! I didn't ask you," Naruto heard Sakura react and he quickly hid behind Ino once again._

_"What's your name?" Ino smiled, wondering whether Naruto and Sakura were friends. It would be a good start if they were since the young Namikaze had a hard time making friends even though she dragged him to the playground occasionally._

_Sakura glanced up at her, wondering why the girl who just appeared to her had some guts to even speak with her, compared to everybody else who deserted the playground._

_"Sakura Haruno…" She avoided Ino's kind face, still caught with uncertainty as to what Ino wanted to do with her._

_"Sakura-chan, huh?" Ino grinned from ear to ear, "It's a shame you're acting less like the cute girl you are."_

_The petite Haruno widened her eyes, before she reacted abruptly._

_"Who are you calling cute! Baka, I have a giant forehead!" Sakura screamed, even though she was in the verge of tears. Naruto and Ino stared back at each other. Did someone tell her that? What a weird way to be accused of._

_By this time, Naruto had a bit of confidence to stand next to Ino instead of cowering behind her. Even though he looked like a mess from all that crying Sakura caused, the blonde boy reached his hand for her hair. It was weird how they switched roles when Sakura was the one with the tears now. He ruffled her hair, messing it. Weirdly, Ino did the same._

_"Y'know," Ino still had her smile even though she was still bewildered by Sakura's tears, "They say when a girl smiles, she blooms like a flower."_

_Sakura stared back at Ino. She was still smiling at her while Naruto was imitating her and grinned widely too._

_"There's no meaning to a flower it doesn't bloom, y'know?" Ino shuffled Sakura's hair a little more before both blondes bowed to Sakura and took their cue to leave._

_"A flower, huh?" Sakura reached for her hair as she idled herself around the playground._

* * *

**A/N: Hello :) I know there are some parts that come from the CanonSeries and everything but I'm still trying to take some elements to put everyone to still be in character, no matter how gruesome and serious this thing started off as. :) Oh and thank you for the reviews, follows and favourites so far ! Thank you for supporting this story. It's truly appreciated ^/^**

How's the Story cover though, even though you can't really see it... HAHAHHAA 

**Hope you liked this chapter !**


	5. Chapter 4: Stupid Fool

**Stupid Fool**

"A flower, huh?" Kiba had a skeptic look on his face, as if he couldn't believe any word of what Ino had said. He was making side comments along the way and kept laughing when Ino mentioned '_forehead_'. If Ino hadn't mentioned about the part where Sakura was worried about her forehead, then Kiba wouldn't have noticed how Sakura had been covering it with her fringe. It wasn't obvious until Ino said anything.

"So, you're an acquaintance with those two and that is the reason as to why they wouldn't come to touch you?" I heard myself ask. I just couldn't believe that those two were even close to anyone else but themselves. I couldn't even image them crying in the first place. I had been thinking they were doing these things like punching and kicking people from the age of three.

"That's what I think," Ino held her hand tightly. She had been doing that as she shared. Maybe the change of pace in how things used to be with them still pained her since it seemed she couldn't move on from that. I saw her clasp on her own hand and finally relaxed them when she began to speak again.

"But, Sakura's reasoning has really gone twisted and I think it was because of _me_," Ino lowered her gaze, "If I had come earlier to defend her from those people, _she wouldn't have…_"

"What do you mean?" I was lost from what she talking about. But Shikamaru had to cut in, telling me things in her place.

"Sakura's family,_ like I said before_, aren't notable compared to ours," Shikamaru was holding back his sigh, "She is who she is now because the kids who bullied her came back to put her down in her place."

And when I thought Ino would stop speaking from there on, she continued, _as if_ defending Sakura, "That's why her mind set now is to put us down in our place like how those people had put her down in her place for being _different_. "

"I remember she did say she despised us _'rich kids'_," Kiba recalled, "I didn't think of it first since it was during orientation day but, who would have thought she would have flipped the whole school system."

I stared at the three of them, wondering what I just heard. Was all of what they said true or were they just joking around with me? Was just a simple childhood problem of hers made it an excuse to beat people up? Was that Sai guy getting blows and kicks from the two of them as we spoke? What made Sakura and Naruto think it was understandable for them to kick people around just because of Sakura's _sorry_ childhood.

_Really_, who does she think she is?

And Naruto? Why the hell was he following her around? Wasn't he just like _us_? Why the hell was he beating up the people that were similar to him? What the hell are they thinking? Who cares if Naruto was a Namikaze or not? The hell they are doing to think it's alright to beat people up.

"I know what you're thinking," I heard Shikamaru said in such a casual tone, "But _nothing_ will help you here; you'll only get a bad record and bunch of bruises if you try."

"How can you let them just do these things when other people are getting hurt?" I raised my voice in anger. I didn't understand why they were having such a complying attitude towards the _two_. So what if one of them owned the school? Whatever they're doing is fucking wrong and it makes me _sick_.

"You sure have a lot of opinions, _Uchiha_," I heard a menacing voice behind me. It was no wonder Kiba was suddenly silent and avoiding my gaze because it was _Naruto_. The memories of me getting punched countless times flashed in my eyes. The two must done with beating that Sai up. I might be their next target to play with. And I couldn't believe I froze on the spot, even though I had been waiting the whole day to get back at them.

"Care to share them with me?" Naruto hung a hand over my shoulder and I saw a glimpse of _blood_ stained on his knuckles. They really did go on to find Sai and beat him up during break. I wanted to say something but I felt so paralyzed at the sudden presence of his. I tried not to believe that Naruto could smell my fear but, I didn't want to back down from them at all.

Like I said, who gave them the right to beat people up and didn't get justified for that?

"Why should I share them with you?" I managed to finally speak. What the _hell…_ I must have sounded stupid compared to Naruto. I must have sounded really afraid when I checked on Ino's expression. She looked genuinely terrified. It must have been because I challenged them again. Maybe that was it. Maybe it wasn't because I sounded stupid.

Maybe because _I was being stupid._

"Wow, you've got guts!" Naruto laughed wholeheartedly, and his weight on my stiff shoulder left as he kept declaring how much guts I have, when I know what everyone else in the class was thinking. They were thinking how stupid I was and that was what probably was in Naruto's brain too. And I thought he stopped making a fuss about it but he didn't,

"Hey Sakura-chan, doesn't this guy got guts?"

I could feel the whole classroom turn silent and still again. She was right there too? I couldn't believe I didn't sense her presence. How long had she been standing there, listening and tuning to seeing me getting Naruto's attention. And it felt so mortifying waiting for her answer. It was as if any word from her would be a piercing knife stabbed right into my gut.

"_Oh really?_" I heard her finally say. I could imagine her sneering.

And with that, I heard a chair being dragged before I finally knew it was Sakura taking her seat. Naruto probably had gone back to her side, and probably talking about what would happen next to Sai but, when I took a tiny peek to understand the situation between them, they were just _quiet_.

I found Sakura writing on a book while Naruto lay on his desk with his back facing me, like he ready to getting back to sleep. They were acting so casual, even though I could still make out of the stains I saw on Naruto's hand.

"You're really stupid, hey, Sasuke?" Kiba poked me on the shoulder. All three of them were shaking their heads, as if it was really a bad decision for my side.

"Even though I said it was less likely for them to beat you up when you're with us," Kiba shifted in his seats and placed a hand over his forehead, as if having a terrible headache, "It doesn't mean you wouldn't get beat. And with what you just did, you'll _definitely_ get beat."

* * *

It was chemistry class in the chemistry laboratory and unfortunately, we were sitting according to alphabetical order. If only it wasn't the stupid school rules, I would have been sitting next to Kiba right now and not fearing for my dear life. Because

right now, I was sitting next to _Sakura._

If only my mother named me another name than "Sasuke", I wouldn't have to be sitting next to Sakura Haruno, the one who kicked my in the stomach to spill my blood out with a smirk. I was tapping my pencil on the lab bench that I was going to share with Sakura. I was looking anywhere but at her. I glanced at the Laboratory rules that was stuck to front of the class, the sink that was built at the end of the table, the default household chemicals placed in front of me and the equipment we were supposedly going to use for today's lesson.

I tried everything to seem calm and I must have looked restless since I got Shikamaru hitting me with an eraser from behind me. I wanted to laugh away my stress but, I knew it wouldn't work. I threw the eraser back at him, and he gave me a weird look on his face before ignoring me then.

On the other hand, Asuma-sensei was giving us instructions and what end results we should get. It was basically like a practical test since he was setting up his stopwatch after he asked someone at the front to give out worksheets.

"All of you have 30 minutes to deduce and conclude your observations on the worksheet with your partner," I heard him say aloud, before he asked Choji to put his snack away. And with that, he clicked on his stopwatch, showing the time on the screen in front of us. I stared at the worksheet, reading what we were supposed to do.

"You are provided with a sample of solid salt, Y which contains element K, Br and O only…" I read. It was a good thing that everything I've learned up until now was relevant chapters to this school so far. I wrote on the side of the worksheet, stating that solid salt Y must have been a _compound_ and then wrote the names of the _elements_ stated. I couldn't believe I was able to do work as I sat next to the most dangerous person, Sakura Haruno.

"Good," I heard her say, which surprised me when she was reading onto my paper. When I glanced over hers, it was already full of many notes and observations. She hadn't even start the experiment hands on, how was she even able to deduce anything just from reading. It was all filled up. When I glanced back at her again, she looked like she was waiting for me to carry out the following test yet, I have only been reading the first few lines of the worksheet.

And when I did, I realized she already set up the necessary ingredients and equipment on the table. She looked enthusiastic. Sakura wasn't really paying attention to the fact that I was the one she beaten up but simply, she was gesturing her hand casually to help her since it was a group experiment. Did it not occur to her that I was the new target of a punching bag or did she simply pushed the subject away?

"While you do the first test to check on what gas it is, I'll do the second test," I heard her say, as if she had done all of these before. When I had placed whatever solid salt Y was into a test tube and heating it with the _Bunsen burner_ she placed right in front of me, she offered me a _splint._ For a moment, I thought she'd kill me with it but I felt stupid. How was she able to kill me with that _thin wooden stick?_

"The splint relighted," I heard myself say, and she nodded, putting a tick on her paper with her free hand. Right after, she told me I had to do the third test as she offered me the results of the second test. The test tube had a mixture in it, and I had a rough idea what the instructions on the paper would ask me to do.

These series of me doing one test while she did another and ticking on her paper happened for the next consecutive ten minutes. And when we were done with all of them, she didn't bother to say anything but nod and tick all the points on her observation column. I had to fill up the observations column on my own while I watch her take note of the time and put the equipment away. She was already cleaning them up while everyone else was still struggling with their own experiments. When I approached the question to the conclusion, Sakura was back on her seat, reading the same question as well. I gave a sigh of relief inwardly when I glanced on her paper. It hadn't been filled up yet.

And for a moment, I thought she really _was_ some kind of genius.

"Four conclusions from the chemical reactions involved…" I heard her mutter before she turned to me and started discussing with me, ignoring the fact that we had a rough start for my first day. She didn't care and just simply shared her conclusions with me.

"You're right," I heard myself say, which I really can't believe it either I was agreeing with her answeres. And what was most unexpected of me was me sharing my findings with her and getting it to approve it, "A _redox_ reaction took place in the third experiment and the substance from Y has oxidizing power as iodide ions are _oxidized_ to iodine."

Sakura nodded again before she wrote on her paper while I only did the same after she did. Asuma was stating the amount of time left and we were still writing and concluding our last conclusion from the experiment. We had seven minutes left and everybody else were only starting with their conclusions, considering that everyone was back to their seat and discussing.

"Since solid Y is compound, it decomposes on heating to form another compound," I heard her say. She was already writing it down but it felt that the answer was too short.

"Aren't we going to write down what happened in test three and four?" I couldn't believe I doubted her answers. Wasn't she _the_ genius top scorer of this school? Would she even care to listen to me even though I seemed relevant for the pass 25 minutes? Would she listen to me even if she didn't take a second thought to kick me yesterday?

She stared at me, as if really taking in what I said in and looked back at the clock that Asuma was showing on the screen.

"We have time for that," I heard her say before she stroke out the line she just wrote, "Why not?"

With the last three minutes left, Sakura went back to ignoring me after I was the first one up in front to give our papers to Asuma. The man seemed rather taken aback when he saw the two of us finish our experiments before his time limit while everyone else was still struggling and writing as fast as they could. When I went back to my seat and waited for everyone else with her, she didn't utter another word but simply back to staring and thinking. Probably thinking of some devious idea of beating people up perhaps.

I glance behind me to see Shikamaru still writing his last minute conclusions before he noticed me. He gave me a smirk before he went back to discussing with his partner. I wonder what was that for…

* * *

"Alright class," I heard Asuma say as he clapped his hands, telling everyone to cease writing and giving their worksheets to the front. It felt like it was an examination with how he had been managing the lesson but, it didn't matter when he informed us about a project coming up in the following week and that we have to work with our current partners. He hadn't told us what the project was but the fear of having to work with Sakura was a _little …_

I didn't know the right words but for the past thirty minutes, it felt like we could work without having it turn into a brawl.

However, I still couldn't trust the idea of working with her, especially when she glanced back at me with her common dull expression when Asuma mentioned the project to us. I couldn't really think what she was thinking. If it was something crooked or not, I wasn't sure with that face she was giving. That was why I didn't trust her to be my partner for a project. And after that announcement, Naruto came by the table. He gave me a mischievous grin before the two of them walk out of the class together, not caring to wait for Asuma to officially end his class.

_Why do I feel much more uneasy?_

* * *

**A/N: Hello :) How was the update on this chapter?**

**I wanted to put a lot of elements from the Canon!series of Naruto to put into the story, like Sakura being bullied, different compared from the other clans that were notable in Konoha and of course, being an intelligent lady. Sorry, I had to put in so many Chemistry terms. HAHA. I hope you didn't get lost hahahaha**

**p.s. if you didn't know, this story updates every monday.**


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